


Over Our Heads

by enigmaticblue



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Relationship, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-17
Updated: 2012-12-17
Packaged: 2017-11-21 10:00:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/596414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enigmaticblue/pseuds/enigmaticblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In Jack's opinion, flash floods are the worst.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Over Our Heads

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the hc_bingo prompt "drowning."

“Go, go, go!” Jack shouts, the floodwaters licking at his heels. Behind him, Carter curses, and Jack glances over his shoulder, seeing her stumble and go to her knees.

 

Daniel and Teal’c both pause and look back, and Jack snaps, “Move it! Dial home!”

 

Jack pulls Carter to her feet, the water swirling around their ankles, and rising rapidly. When Carter gasps in pain, Jack knows they’re in bigger trouble than anticipated.

 

“How bad?” he demands.

 

She shakes her head. “I’m okay, sir,” she insists, but when she tries to put her weight on her right leg, it collapses under her.

 

“Try again,” Jack orders.

 

“I think I twisted my ankle,” she admits.

 

Jack knows Carter well enough to know that a twisted ankle wouldn’t stop her, which means it’s probably either a sprain or a break. “Hang on,” he orders grimly.

 

Carter puts her arm over his shoulders, and he grips her around the waist, clipping his P-90 to his tac-vest and dragging her along. Ahead of them, Daniel has reached the gate, and is dialing home, inputting his IDC as the gate whooshes to life.

 

Daniel pauses, looking back over his shoulder at Jack and Carter. “Go!” Jack shouts, waving him on. “We’ll follow! Teal’c, go!”

 

Ever the faithful soldier, Teal’c hustles Daniel through the gate, while Jack focuses on dragging Carter along, her pale face giving a good indication of how much pain she’s in.

 

They almost make it; they’re bare steps away from the gate and its promise of home when the water swirls up around them, sweeping them both off their feet. Jack’s training takes over, and he locks an arm around Carter’s shoulders, treading water as best he can as the current sweeps them away, threatening to drag them under.

 

Jack tries to direct them to the still-open gate, but they skirt the edge of the stone ring, and Jack’s attempts to grab onto it are unsuccessful. Carter does her best to help, but a thick tree branch strikes Jack’s knee and then another hits the side of Carter’s head, and she goes limp in his grip.

 

At that point, Jack lets the current take them, not fighting against it anymore, focusing on keeping them from drowning. When he feels a particularly violent undertow, they’re both swept under, and Jack holds his breath, but Carter is still unconscious and doesn’t know to do the same.

 

She’s still and pale when they’re finally tossed up on dry land, and Jack feels for a pulse, feeling a terrible panic when he feels nothing.

 

“Don’t do this, Carter,” he orders, beginning CPR and pressing down hard on her diaphragm. When she begins to choke, he turns her on her side to expel the water, rubbing her shoulder comfortingly as she coughs it up. “That’s it,” he encourages. “Easy. Breathe for me.”

 

Carter curls in on herself, puking up murky water and the remains of her lunch, looking absolutely miserable.

 

“You’re okay,” Jack assures her, grateful that the heavy rains have tapered off. “Breathe.”

 

Carter pulls in a deep breath and coughs again. She tries to speak, but her words are cut off by another bout of choking.

 

“Don’t try to talk,” Jack orders. “Just focus on breathing.”

 

He keeps a hand between her shoulder blades to monitor her and looks around, taking in their predicament fully. The overflowing river has tossed them up on a bank, the water churning mere inches away. Their packs have been stripped away, and along with them all food, clothing, and medical equipment.

 

“Well, we’re fucked,” Jack mutters, and turns his attention back to Carter, who is paler than he likes. “Report, Carter.”

 

She nods and winces, but she has a bit of her breath back now. “I’ve got a headache, and I’m a little dizzy, but I’ll live.”

 

“Good to hear.” Jack gets to his feet and gives Carter a hand up, keeping a hand under her arm. “How’s the ankle?”

 

Carter attempts to put her weight on it and grimaces. “Sprained, but not broken,” is her self-diagnosis.

 

Jack gives her a sympathetic look. “It’s not your day, is it, Carter?”

 

She shrugs. “At least we’re not getting shot at.”

 

“Small favors,” Jack agrees. “And at least the rain has stopped. Once the floodwaters go down, I’m sure they’ll be coming to get us.”

 

Carter manages a smile. “Yes, sir.”

 

“Let’s find a place to dry off,” Jack suggests.

 

The ground underfoot is muddy, and their boots make a sucking sound with every step. Carter stumbles several times and would have fallen without Jack’s grip on her arm. They have to move slowly, because of Carter’s ankle, and because she’s still having trouble catching her breath.

 

Their damp clothing and the chilly air do nothing to help, and once they reach dryer ground, Jack helps her sit down. “I don’t suppose you have any waterproof matches.”

 

Carter rummages in a pocket of her tac vest and comes up with a tin container. “Of course.”

 

Jack grins. “All right, sit tight. I’ll see what I can do to find something that will burn.”

 

The planet they’re currently on had been rumored to have a huge supply of naquadah, and SG-1 had been tasked with seeing if the natives would make a deal. They’d stepped out of the gate into heavy rains, and they’d barely made it to the village when it became clear that the nearby river was overflowing its banks.

 

They hadn’t moved fast enough, is what it boils down to, and Jack holds himself responsible.

 

The heavy rains mean there’s no dry wood to be found, and although Jack tries to locate something that’s only slightly damp in the deep underbrush, he comes up empty handed.

 

Jack makes his way back to Carter, who’s shivering violently. “It’s no good,” he says. “There’s nothing dry around here.”

 

“I’d have been more surprised if you’d found something,” she admits. “I’ll be okay, sir.”

 

Jack sighs. “Come here, Carter.”

 

They’re both soaked to the skin, and Jack’s not sure that his body heat is going to do her much good, but it’s better than nothing. She coughs again, and Jack doesn’t like that sound. “You need medical attention.”

 

“Like you said, it’s not really been my day,” she says gamely. “I’ll be okay.”

 

Jack smiles. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

 

Her eyes drift closed after a couple of minutes, and he shakes her awake. “You have to stay awake.”

 

“Sorry,” she says faintly. “I’m just really tired.”

 

“Hey, did I ever tell you about that time when I got roped into stealing a goat?” Jack asks. “It’s a great story.”

 

Carter smiles faintly. “I’m sure it is.”

 

Jack rethinks his strategy. “Tell you what. Change of plans. You tell me the most embarrassing story from your Academy days, and I’ll tell you mine.”

 

“That will certainly keep me awake,” Carter replies dryly. “Actually, it might give me nightmares.”

 

“Does it involve a goat?” Jack counters.

 

Carter smiles. “It does not.”

 

“Then it won’t top my story.”

 

“Wanna bet?”

 

“No bets necessary,” Jack says. “I’ll buy you a drink when we get back regardless, just as long as you promise to stop doing this sort of thing.”

 

Carter glances up at him. “What sort of thing?”

 

“Dying,” he replies. “Or almost dying. Either way.”

 

“I’ll do my best,” she promises. “I’m sorry.”

 

“Oh, for god’s sake, don’t apologize,” he says irritably. “Just stay awake until help arrives.”

 

Carter sighs. “It was my second year at the Academy,” she begins.

 

And somehow, Carter manages to stay awake until help arrives, when Teal’c and Dixon take her weight from him.

 

Jack relinquishes her to their care, hiding his reluctance, and closes his eyes. He’d thought he’d moved past this, but nearly losing Carter again is a reminder that he hasn’t.

 

They’re in over their heads; maybe they always will be, but at least she’s still alive. That’s really all that matters.

 

“Jack?” Daniel calls, offering a hand. “You okay?”

 

“Just peachy,” he replies. “And more than ready to get off this rock.”

 

Daniel gives him a sharp, knowing look, but doesn’t argue. “Sure. Let’s get going.”

 

And they begin the long walk home.


End file.
